Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds feels even more like Fallout: New Vegas than I expected

Outer Worlds is one in every of my most anticipated video games of 2019 and I’ve by no means performed it. Still. Is {that a} unhealthy signal? Maybe, nevertheless it’s Obsidian’s space-faring non secular successor to Fallout: New Vegas. That’s fairly a pedigree, and lots to get my consideration. At E3 2019 I’ve a minimum of had the possibility to see extra of The Outer Worlds, courtesy of a half-hour behind-closed-doors demo.

And the quick model? It seems much more like Fallout: New Vegas than I anticipated.

New New Vegas

One of the elements I’m most serious about, and it was seen within the trailer Obsidian confirmed Sunday at Microsoft’s press convention: The variety of distinctive aesthetics on-hand in The Outer Worlds. It’s all very clearly the identical recreation, and but there are specific areas that resemble Soviet structure and design, others that show Vegas ranges of ostentation, others Art Deco.

And then there’s the city of Fallbrook, which we began our demo in. A smuggling city, it’s half Old West and half pirate shanty, a little bit of form-follows-function that subtly clues you in on a spot’s objective earlier than you’ve met even a single inhabitant.

Anyway, I may wax on about Obsidian’s artwork design for hours in all probability nevertheless it’s not the crux of the demo. We rapidly met up with Catherine Malin, one in every of Fallbrook’s key residents. “Come for vice or virtue? Because we only sell one here,” she greeted us with, earlier than giving us a job. Malin wished us to infiltrate and conquer a neighborhood “boarst” manufacturing facility, a phrase that’s about as disgusting because the product it describes.

Apparently the native companies have bred “cystipigs,” pigs who develop further meat sacs on their necks which then slough off when matured, prepared for harvesting and packaging into what Obsidian known as “sustainable meat product.” Sorry, I ought to’ve instructed you to get a bucket prepared earlier than studying that paragraph.

Obsidian

Fallbrook in The Outer Worlds.

Charm and Intimidate checks confirmed up virtually instantly, indications that that is undoubtedly an Obsidian recreation. And they saved displaying up in virtually each single dialogue alternative. It seems like Obsidian is drawing on its expertise with Pillars of Eternity to tell Outer Worlds on this respect, much more than the scattered ability checks in New Vegas. It’s very promising for individuals who wish to really roleplay.

Other elements are equally prone to get RPG followers scorching and bothered. This being what I assume is a reasonably early quest, Malin laid out each technique of infiltration. We may go in weapons blazing, ask “Duncan” for a disguise, or enter by way of the monster-infested sewers—the doorway of which, in a nod to overdone tropes, is hidden behind a waterfall.

We additionally had two companions with us, Ellie and Nyoko. One’s an alcoholic big-game hunter, the opposite a fast-talking medic. A aspect observe: At increased difficulties, companions can die completely. Be cautious, I assume.

Obsidian

Ellie joined us on our journey.

Exiting to Monarch, the extra open a part of our demo, we needed to combat by way of a number of creatures on the best way to the manufacturing facility: Mantisaurs, Mega Raptidons, and so forth. Some backstory: Apparently Monarch was initially referred to as “Terra-1,” the primary planet to be terraformed, however the course of went flawed and as a substitute of killing the native fauna it remodeled them into murderous monsters. The remainder of the companies deserted the planet, however Monarch back-stabbed them and took it over, leading to a blockade that encircles the planet.

As Obsidian tells it, the opposite companies began spreading propaganda about Monarch, that it’s “inhabited by cannibals, monsters, and worse…the unemployed.”

If you haven’t observed, there’s a robust undercurrent of company malfeasance and sophistication battle at play in Outer Worlds. It crops up in every single place, from guards asking for identification papers to the aforementioned cystipigs and their horrible therapy, to the best way robots on the manufacturing facility ground are geared up with deadly weaponry and may be hacked to activate all denizens. Or, once more quoting Obsidian, “They take termination procedures very seriously here.”

Ha.

Obsidian

I’m excited to see these concepts expanded on within the full recreation. Obsidian’s all the time been top-tier in the case of faction writing, and I’ll be curious whether or not there are good and unhealthy companies, or whether or not all of them are various shades of evil as in New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity II. In truth, I’d wager on the latter.

Beyond phrases

The greatest shock although is that Outer Worlds seems prefer it’ll be enjoyable to play, not simply well-written. Obsidian’s typically struggled with the mechanics and programs in its video games, nevertheless it’s borrowing fairly a bit from Fallout: New Vegas after which melding it with attention-grabbing concepts of its personal.

There’s no V.A.T.S., per se, however there may be “Tactical Time Dilation.” So…yeah, there’s V.A.T.S., which ought to make taking pictures pretty bearable. The weapons appear distinctive and attention-grabbing as effectively, with chainguns full of shock ammo, plasma weapons that may be charged like Halo’s, and what seemed like a shrink ray in Sunday’s trailer. I hope there are a number of bizarre weapons to interrupt me out of the same old sniper-rifle and submachine gun rut.

And Obsidian’s stealth system appears genius. You can put on a disguise into the manufacturing facility, which then enables you to stroll straight by way of—besides a meter’s continuously ticking down whenever you transfer. The meter resets in every new space, so the problem is to make it to the subsequent door with out working out. Even for those who do, you possibly can attempt to lie your well beyond the subsequent set of guards as effectively—thrice, with every examine getting progressively more durable.

Obsidian

It’s loads smarter than the crouch-and-hide stealth of video games previous, extra “realistic” in a manner, and as a Charisma and Sneaking participant myself I’m excited to get my fingers on it.

Lastly, the “Flaw” system appears actually neat. We solely acquired a quick have a look at it, however in sure conditions the sport will give you a tricky alternative: Take a everlasting drawback in a single space to unlock an instantaneous perk level, boosting you in one other. In our case we took a number of injury from robots within the manufacturing facility, prompting the “Robophobia” Flaw. We’d take extra injury from robots sooner or later as effectively, however we’d get a free perk level within the here-and-now. There’s a number of potential for some distinctive and oddball builds relying on what Obsidian applications in as Flaws.

Bottom line

There are nonetheless a number of unknowns, and it’s an Obsidian recreation—that means we received’t actually know whether or not it’s good till we’ve performed by way of it. Obsidian’s nonetheless acquired a popularity for bugs to beat, and that is additionally a “smaller” RPG than we’re used to within the fashionable period, which makes me curious in regards to the pacing.

I’m curious although. After this hands-off demo, The Outer Worlds remains to be one in every of my most anticipated video games of 2019. Heck, in all probability even extra anticipated popping out of the demo really. Hopefully I can recover from my revulsion concerning the phrase “boarst” earlier than October.

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